Tip for Homemade Handheld Scanner Antenna

[simpilo]

I had an idea for a temporary antenna to replace the rubber ducky on the BC75XLT.

I remembered I have a SO-239-BNC adapter and a 43 inch long telescoping whip antenna with no use. So I put both to use.

With the telescoping whip fully extended, from thickest to thin, I broke off each segment at the seam until it fit snug into the center conductor in the SO-239 section of the adapter. Left me with a 22 inch long antenna. Didn't solder it. It fits snug enough to stay there and loose enough to pull out in case I need to re-purpose the SO239-BNC adapter.

The result: Better signals happened on VHF Airband VHF and other UHF
Might work for rural areas. Better for inside the city limits.

 

[cmdrwill]

The result: Better signals happened on VHF Airband VHF

Right because it is a quarter wave length at VHF frequencies..

 

[LouieCT]

Pictures?

 

[simpilo]

Right because it is a quarter wave length at VHF frequencies..

Collapse it to length for UHF it does well too

 

[cmdrwill]

Collapse it to length for UHF it does well too

And that would be about 6 inches, if the antenna will collapse that far.....

 

[simpilo]

Pictures?

I took pictures. No Picasso but you get the idea.
Close tried to capture it all the way extended.

 

[simpilo]

And that would be about 6 inches, if the antenna will collapse that far.....

12 inches works better for UHF. This antenna only collapses to 7 inches.

Before I forget...The telescoping whip used to be a part of a set of RCA TV rabbit ears. That's why it's so long. The top 3 sections is used. break off the rest. Use a Phillips head screwdriver to round it out. Don't use pressure. Just wiggling the tip of the screwdriver works. Make sure that screwdriver is the proper thickness to fit inside the whip. When it is busted off it bends and loses it's roundness. We want the antenna to be round to fit properly inside the SO239. If it wobbles inside the connector. It's to thin. Thats why I broke it off a section at a time until it fit snug. Doesn't work for all telescoping whips. RCA rabbit ears seem to be good enough.

You might have to sand off the chrome plating at the end the whip that fits into the SO-239 connector. Don't take to much off. just enough for snugness.

 

[cmdrwill]

Did you try the antenna at 7 inches for UHF?

 

[simpilo]

Did you try the antenna at 7 inches for UHF?

It does fairly well at 7 inches but 12 inches the county jail was full quieting. That facility here in OKC is hard to receive because the repeater they use is indoor repeater covering all floors with tons of metal and thick as heck brick. Either length was good.

 

[simpilo]

With 10 foot of wire tuned to a active 27MHZ frequency while holding the scanner receive goes down. Then I sit it down on the table then remove my hand from it receive goes strong. The 10 foot wire is actually the antenna that ships with the Radiwow R-108. I guess that 10 foot of wire made the entire thing resonant on 27MHZ at 1/4 wavelength.